Agritechnology

The thriving agricultural industry in the 23 counties has evolved with the latest technologies for food production and growth. In addition to supplying a dependable and safe food supply using modern production and delivery methods, the agricultural sector now services portions of other high tech industries including biotechnology and sustainable energy.

“This technology that we are commercializing is breakthrough technology and we believe it will allow us to mine resources, which are not suitable for the existing industry, do it more efficiently, transfer the product more efficiently to the plant, and thereby really assist the American farmer.”
Joseph Megy, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer of JDCPhosphate Inc.

One contributor to advances in the agritechnology industry is the University of Florida’s (UF) nationally recognized Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, the federal-state-county partnership that provides research and development for the state’s $108.7 billion agricultural, natural resources and food-related industries. The Institute is a pioneer in research for food safety and transportation, pesticide alternatives and even biofuels.

Agritechnology at a Glance

47,000+ commercial farmers in Florida

$108.7 billion industry

65 percent of total U.S. citrus production comes from Florida

Florida’s 47,500 commercial farms are among the most productive in the world, using the latest technology to deliver large majorities of food sources (65 percent of total U.S. citrus production comes from Florida). Also, Florida’s food research institutes are utilizing new technologies to develop alternative fuel sources, such as UF’s initiative to produce ethanol from plant material such as fast-growing and sugar-rich eucalyptus. The process creates a phosphate byproduct (another major agritechnology market segment in the Corridor) and could be used as fertilizer, which makes production more cost-effective.

The Corridor remains an agricultural powerhouse in the state, with Hillsborough, Polk, Highlands, Manatee and Orange counties accounting for approximately 20 percent of Florida’s total agricultural sales.* Complete with resources and research invested in this field, the Corridor presents the ideal location for the growing field of agritechnology to thrive.